Clothes wringer



Nov. 16 1926. 1,607,224

G. C. WILKENSON CLOTHES WRINGER Filed March l1 l 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 16 1926. 1,607,224

G. 4c. WILKINSON CLOTHES WRINGER F'ile March ll 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [Nus/VTM? G OWLLKLTL son..

WFM/55 B Y W L Patented Nov. 16, 192e.

UNITED STATES lPATENT OFFICE@ .GUY C. WILKINSON, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO SYRACUSE WASHING MACHINE CORPORATION, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK,- A CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK.

CLOTHES WRINGER.

' Application :tiled March 11 1924. Serial No.v 698,386.

This invention relates to wringers of the feed roller type adapted to be used more particularly in connection with powerdriven washing machines and involves the use of a roller-supporting frame hinged at one end to swing in a horizontal plane to different angles about the axis of a vertical drive ,shaft to and from a position over the washing or rinsing vats or other receptacles which may be used in connection with the washing machine although it is evident that Vthe novel features o f the invention may be used in connection with stationary wringers.

In wringersof this type, suitable means is provided for reversing' the direction of rotation of the rollers for feeding the wet i articles from one receptacle into another,

and under these conditions, it is desirable to provide what is commonly known vas a water-board or drainage plate for guiding the articles and for conducting the expressed Water over the intervening space between the receptacles.

This is particularly true in wringing the clothes from the washingvat to the rinsing vat and vice versa, and in many instances, particularly in wringing thick and heavy articles, the volume of water expressed from the clothes at the entrance side of the rollers vat and at the in-feed side of the wringer.' Another object is to enable the water-l board to be adjusted in the wringer frame transversely of and beneath the wringer in an inclined position at one side or the other of the frame for directing the clothes downwardly according to the direction of rota tion of the rolls.

A further object is to provide means for releasably locking the water-board in either of its adjusted positions against endwise movement or vertical vibration.

lThe upper roller is usually spring-pressed against the lower roller and the tension of the spring adjusted by means of a screw, andl another object of the invention is to provide a movable support for the screw and to hold said support in operative positionby means of a spring-retracted latch erator to release the spring pressure upon the upper roller 1n case of accident or for any other reason requiring quick' release of such pressure, the specific object of the selfycn adapted to be instantly released by the op- Other objects and uses relating to specific i parts of the wringer will be brought out in the following description.

In the drawings Figure l is a perspective view of a wringer embodying the various features of my invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectionalview of the same wringer taken on line 22 Figure 1.

Figure 3' is a transverse vertical sectional view taken on line 3 3, Figure l, and Figure 4 is a water-boar e 4 Figure 5 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken in they plane of line 5--5, Figure 2., y

As illustrated, this wringer comprises an inverted U-shaped hollov.7 frame -1- hav-y ing an upwardly arched top portion -2- and opposite end legs 3* and7 -3-- which are connected near the bottom by a tie rod -4-- to stiffen them against relative endwise movement and at the same time leaving j a clear open space through the frame from front to rear between the rod land top portion -2- for therpassage of clothes therethrough.

A pair of wringer rolls -5,- and --5 are mounted in the frame between the end legs 3 and -3- and some distance above the tie rod -4-- with their. meeting faces registering with the opening through the frame. l y

The opposite ends ofl these rollers are journaled in anti-friction bearings 6 which together with a air of pressure bars -7, are mounted 1n" vertical guideperspective view of the detached Leonaae ways -8-, the bearings 6- for the low- -19- respectively, are located within the er roller -5- being adapted to rest upon top portion -2- of the frame -lwhile underlying supporting anges -9- prothe members -16-- and 19- are movable jecting inwardly from the adjacent portions in an opening -23- in .said top. t of the legs "-3- and -3'. That is, when the section 16- is closed,

rlhe inner edges of the anges 9 exit forms a continuation of the top --2-., tend beyond and below the adjacent ends of while the lever latch -19- extends through the lower roller -5- and are curved downthe opening 23- to overhang a portion wardly for deilecting any "water which may of the top 9,- lengthwise thereof as .shown lodge thereon on to an underlying waterin Figure 2 to form a handle whereby it may board -O-. be depressed against the action of the spring rlFhe shafts or end trunnions for support- --2lto release the movable section lf3- ing the rollers -5- and -5- are jourand thereby to release pressure of the spring naled in their corresponding. bearings -6- -llupon the pressure bars JI- thus while the central portions are covered as permitting the upper roller -5- to move usual, with rubber or other resilient mate freely toward and away from the lower rial capable of frictionally feedingthe laune roller without displacing the spring dry articles between them. 14.- from its operative position.

rlhe bearings 6- for the ends of 'the ln restoring the movable section 1.6-- Irollers are substantiallyl identical, each con# with the screw -l5 thereon to its closed sisting of an inner sleeve -lland an outerl position? its shoulder 1&- engages a porring 12 journaled on the periphery of tion of the lever latch -19- above its pivot the sleeve through the medium of anti-fric- 20- thereby rocking the lever inwardly j tion rollers 13 as shown more clearly against the action of the spring -21- unin Figure 5. n til the shoulder -18- is interlocked with a rllhe end rings l2- of the lower bearcompanion shoulder -l8- on the latch lcings p6- rest directly upon the adjacent ver directly over the pivot 20- anges"9v and also against the inner faces lt will be seen from the foregoing deof the opposed guides -8- while the rings scription that the closing of the movable -12- for the upper bearings lare section -16 by hand automatically inter adapted to ride in said guides, it being unlocks it with the latch lever -19- but just dei-stood that thel upper rollei-5 normalpreceding this closing movement it is prely rests ldirectly uponthe periphery of the ferred to unscrew the screw -15- suflicient lower roller -5- and that it is free to move ly to avoid the excessive resistance of the vertically to compensate for varying thickspring 14C- `and as soonv as the movable nesses of articles which are to be wrung be.- section is locked by the lever -19-, the tween the rollers. screw -15- may be again tightened to iinflhe pressure bars -7 are also movable part the desired tension to the spring lllvertically in thel adjacent guides -8- and .and corresponding pressure upon the upper bear directly upon the upper faces of the adroller V5- through the medium of the pi-esjacent rings -12- of the upper bearings sure bars -7-, the. upper end of the screw i l being provided with a handle -24- by Anupwardly arched leaf spring 14.- which it may be turned? extends lengthwise of and within the upper A gear case -25- is bolted or otherwise portion of the frame -1-' and has its ends Secured to one end of the wringer frame resting upon the upper faces of the. pressure -1- for receiving and supporting a drive bars -7- while the central portion is enshaft 2G- and suitable gearing for transgaged by a screw l5- in a movable section mitting rotary motion from said drive shaft -16- of the top fof the frame. to the lower roller -5- and from said roll- The movable section -16- is pivoted at er to the upper roller -eV-Q-,jsaid gear case --l7- to the top portion 2- of the frame beingpnroyided witlia vertical hub QT-- at one sideof a screw '---Il5--ua/ndl is prcfdifviiig a socket open at its lower end for videdgwith a shoulder-Mli at the opposite receiving a supporting sleeve -28- which is i side of"said screw adapted to be engaged generally iiXed to the frame of the washby a latch lever l9- which in turn is ing machine against'frotation and is seated pivoted at -20- to the top of the frame against the upper .wall of the socket in the l at the same side of thescrew as the hub 27- to permit the Wringer as a whole shoulder -18- and is spring pressed into ento swing horizontally about the axis of the gageinent with said shoulder by means of a drive shaft -6- and supporting tube or flat spring 2 1, the latter being held in post 28T- as may be required for wringoperative position on the underside of the ing clothes from the washing vat to the top portion 2- by suitable lugs -22, rinsing vat or other tubs and vice versa. Figure rlihe lwringer is held in different angularlv The pivotalwpins -lnand -20- for the adjusted positions by means of a locking bolt movable section 36mand latch lever -29 which may be withdrawn by hand lUU from .any one of its plurality of openings in the post -28- against the action of a retracting spring -30- to permit the hori- The drive shaft -26- is provided with a double end clutch member -31- splined thereon for axial movement and to rotate therewith and is movable from a neutral position into and out of engagement with one or the other of a pair of beveled pinions -32- at opposite ends of the clutch-member -31, said pinions being engaged with diametrically opposite faces of a gear -33-- which in turn is operatively connected to the shaft of the lower roller -5- to transmit rotary motion thereto when the shaft -26- is rotated and the clutch member -31-- is engaged with either one of the clutch pinionsv-SQ-t v That is, when the clutch memberjis engaged with one of the pinions, the wringer rolls .-5- and -5- will be rotated in one direction and when engaged with the other pinion will be rotated in a reverse direction.

The clutch member -31- is yprovidedy with an annular groove which is engagedI by an eccentric member -34-- on the inner end of a rock shaft -35- which is journaled in the outer wall of the gear case -25- and is provided with a handle 3G- by which it maybe rocked in reverse directions for engaging the clutch member -3lwith either of the pinions -32- according tothe direction in which it may be desired to rotate the wringer rolls -5- an -5-.

The water-board -10- is movable transversely of the wringer rolls in the space between the tie rod -4- and lower roll 5- and is provided with lengthwise flanges -37-- secured to the underside thereof near its longitudinal edges for reinforcing pur- .poses and also to ride upon the upper' face of the rod -llfor supporting the waterboard in its-operative position, said flange being provided with notches -42- for receiving the rod-4- for holding the water board against endwise movement when adj usted mainly to one side or to the other side of the rollers.

This water-board -'10-- extends laterally and has its opposite longitudinal edges prowardly toward each other so that the widths of the ends of the water board are slightly less than the intermediate portion and causes the water to drain toward the longitudinal center and into the slots -40.

In some instances, particularly when pass ing heavy articles from the rinsing vat through the wringer into the washing vat or other receptacle, the volume of water eX- pressed by the wringers is too great to be carried off by a plain water-board even though confined more or less by the flanges -38- resulting in overflowof excess water from the water-board on to the floor and in order to overcome this difiiculty, the waterboard is provided near its ends with transverse slots -40- between the flanges 38- to permit a considerable quantity of water expressed by the wringer rolls to pass therethrough and into the underlying rinsing vat or other receptacle, and thereby preventing the lateral overflow over the flanges -38- at the low end of the water-board.

'As previously stated, the water-board -10- is slidable endwise transversely of and upon the supporting-rod -4- and is provided with slots 40- mainly to one side or the other of the wringer rolls 5 according to the direction of feed ofthe wet articles through the wringer and is adapted to be supported in a tilted position under the rolls, and is provided withstop shoulders -41- at the ends of the flanges -37- for limiting such movement, portions of saidllanges just inside of the stops being recessed at -42- to receive the rod and to cooperate therewith in holding the waterboard against accidental endwise movement.

In other'words, the stops -41- arearranged in spaced relation lengthwise of the water-board to permit the desired adjustment of said water-board mainly to one side or the other of the wringer rolls and at the same time, the walls of the recesses-Q form bearings for engaging the rod 4 and permitting the tilting of'` the waterboard 4about the axis thereof, the object of .holding the water-board in its adjusted and tilted position, mainly at either vside of the wringer rolls` and for this purpose is provided a pair of pawls or detents -44.-. pivoted at L15-dto opposite sides ofthe frame 1 some distance above the horizontal plane of the lower wringer roll -5 and having their lower ends provided with arms #-46d spaced apart a distance corresponding to the spacing of the central portions of the flanges -38- for engaging in notches -47- and -47- in the 'upper edges of said flanges.

. These notches -47- and -47- are arranged in close proximity to each other but in reverse order and substantially midway between the stops --41-Y so that when the water board is adjustedy to one position as shown by-full lines in Figure 8, the lower ends 46 of the corresponding pawl i4- will engage in the notches 47-, but when the water-board is shifted mainly to the opposite side of the wringer rolls as shown by dotted lines in the same figure, the lower ends of the opposite pawl 4awill be engaged in the notches 4T- Owing to the fact that the opposite ends of the flanges -38- are drawn inwardly or closer to eachother than their central portions, the lower ends of the pawls ,--44- at the higher side of the water table will drop down at the oute: sides of the adjacent ends of the flanges by reason of the fact that the distance between the arms -46- of each pawl -44- is substantially equal to the water board.

rllhe portions 44- are provided with lengthwise bars -50- connecting the arms -46- and forming stops or abutments for engaging the flanges -38- and limiting the upward swinging movement of each end of the water-board as the other end is tilted downwardly.

lt will be. observed that the ends ofthe waiter-board begin to contract unequal distances from the stops 41- and also from the shoulders -47- and -tof the flanges -38- and that the contracted portion at one end is somewhat longer than that of the opposite end, the object of which is to permit Athelonger end to extend farther into the washing vat for effectively draining the water from the wringer back into said vat while the shorter contracted end is adapted to overhang a rinsing vat or other receptacle from which the wet clothes are re-wrung through the wringer into "the washing vat or other receptacle and owing to the fact that the rinsing vat is usually placed directly upon the floor/or considerably lower than the washing vat, it is desirable to provide the corresponding end of the water-board with the extra drainage slot a0-' 4 to prevent the excess water from overflowing the adjacent portions of the flanges -38- on to the floor.

Rotary motion is transmitted from the shaft of the roller -5- to the roller 5'- by means of gearing -52- arranged yto al low limited vertical movement of the roller -5- relatively to the roller -5-- without disengagement.

The structure shown and described is found to be Aparticularly eflicient, but it is evident that various changes may be made in the structural details without departing from the spirit of this invention.

I claim l. ln a wringer, a drain board having upturned flanges along its opposite ends and lengthwise slots through its bottom near its opposite lengthwise sides, the portions of the end flanges at opposite ends of the slots being deflected inwardly to deiiect the drainage water toward the slots. j

2. ln a wringer, a frame having a. fulcrum for a drain board, and a drain board slidable transversely of and upon the fulcrum and provided with stops at unequal distances from the longitudinal center of the drain board for engaging said fulcrum and limiting the sliding movement of the drain board in opposite directionson the fulcrum to allow said drain board to project farther to one side of the fulcrum when adjusted to one extreme position than to the opposite side when adjusted to the other extremesition for the purpose described.

3. lua wringer, a frame having a fulcrum for a drain board, a drain board slidable transversely of and upon the fulcrum and provided with upturned flanges along its opposite ends, stops on the drain board at unequal distances from its longitudinal center, 'said upturned flanges having shoulders substantially' equal distances from their respective stops, andadetents hinged to the frame at opposite sides of the fulcrum for engaging their respective shoulders and holding the drain board in its extreme positions of adjustment as limited by said stops.

ln witness whereof I have hereunto Set my hand this sixth day of March, 1924. 

